Florida State linebacker E.J. Levenberry made his first career start last season at Boston College.

It's right there, in the Seminoles' statistic archives.

One problem.

Levenberry, breaking into a wide smile and laugh, refuses to acknowledge that September victory as a start.

"I went in for one play," he said.

"I don't count it as a start."

Levenberry, an athletic sophomore and former five-star recruit from Woodbridge, Virginia, wants to make a much bigger impact from start to finish this season.

Possibly even as a starter.

Levenberry and Reggie Northrup, a junior from Jacksonville, have been splitting time with the first- and second-team at weakside linebacker as FSU looks to replace leading-tackler Telvin Smith, now in the NFL.

Levenberry would like to start obviously, but that's not his immediate concern.

As the Seminoles held their first practice in full pads on Friday, Levenberry focused on continuing to learn the Seminoles' defensive system.

He makes the reads and coverage calls with the second team and splits that role with others on the first team due to the unit's overall experience.

"Going with the ones and the twos is good for me personally," Levenberry explained.

"It's the best of both worlds in a sense because we get to learn both how to do it and what we are doing out there. It's a good process so far."

Over the offseason, Levenberry targeted his mental preparation. His physical ability is can't-miss.

Levenberry's impressive play last season landed the 6-foot-3, 243-pounder in the two-deep depth chart at middle linebacker.

He played in 13 games and returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown against Idaho to round out the Seminoles' season-high 80-point outburst.

"I think I get to the ball well, I can sniff out plays and I am just taking this role my sophomore year, learning the defense, learning why we do things and how we do things and putting myself in the right spot," Levenberry said.

"Anybody can do the physical part, but the mental part is what's really important in this game."

Levenberry also concentrated on gaining weight and improving his speed, specifically laterally into open spaces.

He questioned his speed, strength and explosiveness in the spring game at 223 pounds despite finishing with a team-high eight tackles for the Garnet.

Working out sometimes twice-a-day and following a diet that included burritos, Levenberry weighed in at 248 pounds for the start of preseason practice (he has since lost five pounds).

"Having that weight on and the speed and explosive is really helping my game at linebacker," said Levenberry, noted for his ability to make end-to-end plays.

Levenberry also pointed to the competition with Northrup as a good thing.

Northrup played as a reserve in all 14 games and totaled 46 tackles last season.

"We are both really cool, we joke around with each other a lot," Levenberry said.

"Reggie is a very, very good player. He's probably the hardest hitter on the team. Just to be able to compete with someone like that, it's a blessing for me. Just being out there competing with him is fun."

Levenberry and his fellow linebackers are also striving for improved consistency, a quality that coach Jimbo Fisher did not see on Friday.

"The linebackers got to be more consistent," Fisher said.

"They have been solid, but I think they need to play with a little more urgency at times."

Levenberry is one of FSU's candidates to have a breakout season if he can follow-up on the play-making abilities he demonstrated last season. He led the Seminoles with a career-high eight tackles against North Carolina State.

Levenberry, at the moment, is not worried about starting. He just wants to contribute.

"I just have to go out there and do what the coaches tell me to do and play my game," Levenberry said.

"That (starter's role) is up to the coaches."

FAN DAY

• The doors to the Civic Center will open at 11 a.m. on Sunday for Florida State's annual Fan Day that will begin at noon. Parking and admission are free.

• There will be a strict policy in place that permits each person to bring in only one item to be signed so that as many fans as possible get an opportunity to interact with the Seminoles. The re-sale of autographed items is strictly prohibited as it may negatively impact a student-athlete's eligibility.

• Following Fan Day, there will be an open practice at Doak Campbell Stadium. Gates to the stadium will open at 3:30 p.m. and practice will begin at approximately 4 p.m.